Archive for the ‘Dismasters’ Category

Summer ’88. White kid named Patrick Moxey used to throw these moving parties called “Pay Day” featuring live performances by the hottest acts of the day, acts like Rob Base, De la Soul and what not. Shits would be at different locations throughout the city. Hottest parties around, bar none and word bond. Joints was so hot, your favorite rappers’ favorite rappers would be posted up in the joint, and casual like. Stetsasonic, I seen them at the bar, Jungle Brothers, up in the back puffin L’s with Slick Rick and Kane, Just-Ice, by the speakers signing autographs. Anyway’s this one night when Pay Day was running in this huge ass school auditorium in the Lower East Side, me and my Brooklyn set hopped the turnstiles to catch scheduled performances by this group The ’40 Busters who had a single “I Drink Old Gold” parodying Eric B. and Rakim’s monster hit “I Know You Got Soul”, as well as this other group The Dismasters who was scorching the tri-state area with a local heatrock called “Small Time Hustler”.

Anyways, the 40 Busters had just finished their set, dj was spinning, chicks was grinding on the God, blunt fog clouds was hanging right over our heads when suddenly, the music stops, the lights cut off and everyone was like wtf? Then, like on cue, this HUGE hanging movie screen starts dropping from the ceiling all slow and shit and NO ONE knows wtf is going on. Since Hip Hop was crazy new and mad unpredictable, the anticipation is unbearable as to what was taking place, but we all knew that shit was gonna be dope, HAD to be dope, or someone would have to leave the joint all bloodied and buck fiftied up. Shit was primal like that back during them days. Kniccas mos def had to come correct. Then, the movie projector sparks up and like a slow rumbling earthquake the sound starts pumping mad truck like through the speakers and for the first time in our young effin lives, everyone in the joint is mesmerized as we all watch in awe, the video for Boogie Down Productions’ “My Philosophy” in it’s fucking entirety, KRS-One in front of the Suzuki, speaking to us all in acapella. Please understand, this wasn’t just us seeing the video for the first time, it was the very first time we all got to HEAR the song. By the time the video ends, the entire crowd, black, white, Asian, Martian, dudes, chicks goes freakingB-U-C-K-W-I-L-D! That night, the Dismasters had an incredibly hard act to follow.

Patrick went on to start a label by the same Pay Day name. We even did a deal back in ’95, where he signed one of my clients, a young Jay-Z for like a mere $25,000. Then he went on to drop Jay from his Pay Day label like four months later. I can’t call it, but, I’m sayin’.

Directed by my dude Fab Five Freddy, the “My Philosophy” video will ALWAYS be my favorite hip hop video of all time. The production was crazy, catching KRS One in his prime, the song being one of BDP’s BEST and the set up as to how and when I saw and heard it for the first time will forever be planted firmly in my noodle.

So CJ is asking you, what’s your favorite hip hop video of all time and why?